Nº23: SHARIFA MURDOCK
A WOMAN ABOUT HER BUSINESS.
SHARIFA MURDOCK
STYLED BY Tiffiny Mona’e | @tiffiny_monae
PHOTO BY Dale Algo | @daleknows
Every year, I attend several fashion trade shows; it's my go-to for content and inspiration when it comes to creating for this publication. Thanks to the likes of LIBERTY Fairs, among others, I was able to map out the beginning years of building A.R.T.S.Y., produce content, and forge numerous relationships with brands.
If you're not into the fashion industry or have not ever heard of this trade show, let me give you a quick rundown. LIBERTY Fairs is a business-to-business fashion trade show held in New York, Las Vegas, and Florence where brands unveil what's to come for the next season to buyers and press. Buyers come to shop, and for publications like us, we are given the opportunity to scope out what's new and next. This then allows us to cultivate connections with brands that ultimately guide and inform our distinct tone of voice and aesthetic for editorials. It's truly a great experience.
After having gone to quite a few over the last few years, I was curious about the driving forces behind the shows. When I discovered that it was co-owned by a black woman⏤I was ecstatic. With additional research, I was able to put a face to the name and title. After multiple appearances at the trade shows and admiring her from afar, I finally found the courage to reach out to her and present myself and what A.R.T.S.Y. stood for.
She welcomed me with a smile and a firm handshake and introduced herself as Sharifa Murdock.
In our conversation, Sharifa did not hold back from her truth, sharing details from her childhood and upbringing that shaped who she is today. She also shares with us her vision for creating an event solely for inspiring young women called ENVSN. ENVSN is a two-day festival that is driven by female entrepreneurs and celebrates direct-to-consumer beauty, wellness, and fashion products ranging from limited quantities to customized pieces. Inspired by the dreamers, go-getters and future leaders, ENVSN focuses on bringing together a collective of strong, influential personalities who, at the core, believe in the power of women. It’s a collaboration of possibilities where real success stories are used as a platform of encouragement for the millennial minds, alongside unique shopping and music experiences.
“If I didn’t go through that learning process and if I wasn’t given the opportunity, I wouldn’t be here sitting with A.R.T.S.Y. today.
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THE PAST
I grew up with Caribbean parents from the island of Trinidad. I was always very passionate about fashion from a young age, doing anything I could to go shopping or to get the latest things in style. My parents allowed me to be myself with no boundaries; they never hindered me from believing in the things I loved which ultimately helped push me in the right direction.
When it came to clothing, dressing, or where/when I wanted to go to college, I was also never given boundaries from my parents. Luckily, I had always been a hard worker. It all started with a paper route when I was probably about 11 years old. I slowly began to work my way up at grocery stores and fast-food chains and eventually landed a role at the renowned SoHo clothing store Atrium. It was my first prominent job. Atrium was arguably one of the hottest clothing stores at the time as a boutique within a boutique. There, every young adult went shopping for the latest men's and womenswear. I later worked at Louis Vuitton, which exposed me to the luxury level of fashion. It is because of the experience I developed at Louis Vuitton that I am in the position I am in today with LIBERTY Fairs.
THE IMPACT
The older you are, the more you realize the impact that you leave on people. As I was gaining more experience in the industry, the more ways I learned I could reshape and inspire people in different ways. I believe the fashion industry is waking up and realizing that African Americans have a talent and that we have a significant stake in the buying and selling of products. I'm happy to be a part of that realization. I am pleased to be a leader in the fashion industry for other young women; you truly can do whatever you put your mind to. I'm also happy that someone believed in me once upon a time and gave me that chance.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
My first actual trade show was called PROJECT. My mentor, Sam Ben-Avraham, believed in me so much that he picked me to execute it. I had no idea at 23 years old what PROJECT was or really even what it took to do a trade show. I was on a learning mission as I went along. Sam gave me access to do what I needed within that space. If I hadn’t gone through that learning process and if I hadn’t been given the opportunity, I wouldn't be here sitting with A.R.T.S.Y. today. I sold a lot of booths, learned from the ground up, and formulated lasting relationships.
We soon parted ways with PROJECT, and as a result, I was able to start LIBERTY with Sam. What was once a mentorship became a partnership. He believed that with LIBERTY, I could be able to make something of my own. Once, he said: "I would have never done LIBERTY without you." That meant a lot to me.
It took the relationships that I built from PROJECT to start LIBERTY. We were starting from scratch and I was able to instill other people to trust me. I promise you the impact of the people that believed in me was phenomenal. I couldn't believe how many people left to come with me to make LIBERTY possible. And that showed me that this is why I've been working so hard for over 10 years. It was a vision for who I wanted to be and that is someone who introduces new brands to people.
GET INSPIRED
You need to be your own believer first and from whatever comes with that, you have to consider your dreams. We want so badly for other people to pump us up and give us that confidence but don't wait for that. As I said, you need to be your believer first. As long as you believe in your dreams, anything can happen⏤that's a proven fact for me.
Starting ENVSN, it was something that I knew I wanted to do; it was in my spirit that this is what I wanted. ENVSN came about from my experience of doing business-to-business format (B2B). I now want to branch into business-to-consumer (B2C) and being a female, I wanted to do something for the young girls to be able to learn. I wanted to create something that I wish I had growing up to guide me.
ENVSN is a love letter to myself.